March 10th, 2003 | The lowdown by Sara Douglas

Movie Night: Ster Century and UCI Cinemas

There are two main movie theaters in Norwich: Ster Century and UCI Cinemas. It really shouldn't be that big of a decision when choosing which movie theater to go to; it's not that important, especially since both theaters often have different movies playing. However, I thought it might be nice to have a brief description of each so people might know what to expect.

Both theaters show an impressive number of films at any one time. Tickets are reasonable; Student Price: ?3.50 pence at Ster Century, ?4 pounds at UCI. The primary difference between the two is the atmosphere.

Ster Century is located in the Castle Mall. Depending on where you enter, you may need to struggle up as many as four or five different sets of escalators. The seats are comfortable, the screens are big, and the theaters themselves are clean, which I guess is as much as one can ask for at the movies. However, there's something institutional about the whole environment. They have the typical movie fare; overpriced popcorn, drinks, and even Ben and Jerry's.

UCI on the other hand, is much more appealing. It's located in a nook at the fantastic Riverside complex, and this just adds to the fun of going to the movies as it provides a number of other activities close by that you can enjoy either before or after.

UCI is a true English movie theater. Besides the large concession stand directly in the middle of the lobby - a "specialty" food stand with different candies, coffee's, and a huge selection of Ben and Jerry's - there's also an attractive bar on the left hand side of the building. While I've never gotten anything there, the fact that there's a bar within the theater is something I just haven't quite gotten over.

The staff is really nice, the seats are comfortable, the screens are huge, the entire theater is clean and the lighting/general atmosphere of the place is very attractive.

There's also a huge screen in the lobby of the theater, meant to entertain those early-comers while they waiting for their movies, which just adds to the overall appeal of the place. Also, the fact that it's located in the center of a complex containing clubs, restaurants, pubs, a bowling alley and much more, makes the experience all the more exciting.